Explorer Goes Upmarket; Adds 2.3L EcoBoost to Mix

LOS ANGELES – Ford’s refreshed Explorer, packed with technology, a new top-of-the-line trim and an upgraded EcoBoost engine option, is aimed at raking in some of the dollars left on the table by the current model.

Set for its public unveiling today at the auto show here and due to hit U.S. showrooms next summer, the revised Explorer features a few styling tweaks, including a more-sculpted hood, but most of the news is around its new top-of-the-line Platinum trim level.

Ford is taking the Explorer even more upscale to compete directly with the Jeep Grand Cherokee and GMC Acadia SUVs, which have more-lucrative, higher-priced models in their lineups.

Current Explorer buyers certainly appear to be asking for additional content. Matt Zuehlk, Explorer brand manager, says one in five of the SUV's customers migrate over from a luxury vehicle, and 90% of Explorer Sport owners purchase the vehicle with most all the options.

With the Platinum model, “we’re now in the game” with the Grand Cherokee and Acadia, he says. “We’re going to do what they are doing, but we’re going to do it better.”

The Explorer Platinum comes fully loaded, with the only option mid-row captain’s chairs. It will feature all of the new technology the SUV will have to offer for ’16, with the list including new 180-degree front and rear cameras to aid tight maneuvers, complete with lens-washing systems; enhanced park-assist technology that includes perpendicular parking help; and side sensors that warn of obstructions, such as parking-garage supports.

The new model also adds availability of Ford’s hands-free tailgate operation first seen on the smaller Escape and fast-charging USB ports for front and rear passengers.

Powering the Platinum will be the top-of-the-line 3.5L EcoBoost V-6, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel-drive.

Inside is where the new edition earns its stripes, with a special electronic instrumentation that features an AWD gauge that shows how torque is being distributed between the two axles. Ford says the instrumentation is its most sophisticated to date.

There’s also plenty of brushed-aluminum accents, including a Ford oval on the steering wheel that is monochromatic platinum, with no blue; ash wood instrument panel trim; 500-watt Sony sound system; and what Ford is calling “Nirvana” leather, said to be the softest in any Ford vehicle.

The Platinum edition also gets some suspension and steering tweaks to skew it more toward comfort than is the Sport model.

Outside the Platinum boasts a slightly unique grille, some LED jewelry integrated with the headlamps, platinum accents that include the door handles and roof rack and a silver-painted skid plate.

Zuehlk says he expects the Platinum series to account for about 8% of Explorer sales, on par with top-end Grand Cherokees and Acadias. Currently, Explorer transaction prices hover around $36,000, with Sport models closer to $46,000-$48,000.

Ford also is dumping the unpopular – and underpowered – 2.0L EcoBoost 4-cyl. option in favor of the new 2.3L version found in the Mustang. Offered as a mid-grade engine below the turbocharged 3.5L V-6 and above the base naturally aspirated 3.5L, the new 2.3L is rated at 270 hp and 300 lb.-ft. (407 Nm) of torque, up 13% and 11%, respectively, from the outgoing 2.0L.

Despite the displacement upgrade, the new engine will at least match the outgoing 2.0L’s 28 mpg (8.4 L/100 km) highway rating and, unlike the current 4-cyl., will be available with AWD.

Explorer Chief Engineer Arie Groeneveld wouldn’t speculate on the take rate for the 2.3L, but says with the availability of AWD, Ford is expecting higher penetration than the outgoing 2.0L.

Inside, Explorer gets more tactile buttons and knobs, as the automaker continues to move away from touch-sensitive controls.

Ford says the Explorer is a key product in a world quickly turning toward utility vehicles.

The utility sector has grown 88% since 2008 and now accounts for 19% of the global market, says Jim Farley, executive vice president-global marketing. SUV/CUVs account for 23% of Ford sales and will grow to 29% of the mix in 2020, he says.

“Utilities are on fire in Europe,” Farley says, pointing to a 72% increase for the segment since 2008. And the market in China, where sales have grown 485% in that period, is “just exploding.”

Ford expects Explorer volume this year to hit 180,000 units in the U.S., with another 56,000 exported, mostly to China and the Middle East.

The new $50,000-plus Platinum model also will be shipped to some global markets, but for now the top-of-the-line edition is aimed only at the U.S., Canada, Mexico and China (badged Titanium).

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